The 3rd Visit Nenagh Classic will take place on Saturday the 12th and Sunday the 13th of April 2014 where well in excess of over 500 cyclists are expected to participate in a variety of cycling events in and around Nenagh.
The cycling festival will kick of on the Saturday with a Team Time Trial on the old N7 between Five Alley and Birdhill . Last years winners of Team Time Trial NWVG Bike 4 Air from the Netherlands are destined to come back to Nenagh to defend their title on this special discipline. 8 teams took part in the event last year but that number is expected to grow due to the popularity of this skillful event.
Nenagh town centre will be at the heart of all activities on Sunday the 13th. First race to hit the scenic roads of North Tipperary is the A4 category, closely followed by a new added element to the Visit Nenagh.ie Classic, a seperate Ladies race. The first 2 races of the day will use a new 67 km route including extensive use one of the longest dedicated cycle paths in the country the old N7, before they descend towards the village of Silvermines, the newly added “country mile” and a 4km climb towards Templederry. Via rolling roads the riders will return to Nenagh where the finish is laid out for the riders in the town centre.
The classic distance 154 km main race will depart at 11am, shortly followed by the A3 category riders who will cover a tough 104 km. The 154 and 104km routes are slightly changed, after returning back to Nenagh via the climbs of Portroe, Shallee , Chapel Hill and Coum the journey continues towards Dolla, where the “country mile “ awaits before ascending towards Templederry. The final climb towards Toomevara is the final legbreaker in the route before the riders return back to Nenagh. The new “country mile” added to all races gives the Visit Nenagh Classic another “Flanders” dimension to the race. Timmy Barry of the Aqua Blue team collected the Killoran slate trophy twice , whilst the A3 support race was won in 2012 by Ryan Mullen, now professional with the An Post -Chainreaction team and in 2013 by Eddie Dunbar of the National Development team.
There will be a festival type atmosphere adding to the experience for the spectator and cyclist alike. This is the norm in many European countries with races such as “Paris Roubaix” “Amstel Gold” and “The Tour of Flanders” being among their host countries largest annual sports event. We are extending a warm welcome to both cyclists and their families and others who plan to come to Nenagh that day and to others from near and afar who would like to come along and support or just enjoy the activities and hospitality in Nenagh on the 13th of April. The centre of Nenagh will be a hive of activity on the day with a local food fair along with family entertainment and music.
There will also be an opportunity for families to come out and participate in a family fun cycle, a 45 min route on fabulous refurbished cycling paths around the town is on offer . Over 200 cyclists took part in the Family Fun Cycle in 2013 and efforts are being made to grow the number of participants this year, which is hosted by the North Tipperary Sports Partnership. Pre-Registration for the event will open soon via the Nenagh.ie website and via links on the Visit Nenagh.ie Classic facebook page.
The Visit Nenagh.ie Classic is organised by Visit Nenagh.ie Team DMG, a dedicated cycling development team based in Nenagh. Not only is the team very active in hosting the very prestigious Visit Nenagh Classic and last years stage finish in Nenagh of the an Post Ras, its riders are also very succesful on the road. Courtesy of mutiple National road race champion Mehall Fitgerald the Nenagh.ie backed team scooped3 county rider stage jerseys during last years An Post Ras. Till date Visit Nenagh.ie is the most succesfull cycling team in North Tipperary. The Visit Nenagh.ie Classic and Visit Nenagh.ie team is made possible with the help and support of the Mayor of Nenagh, Nenagh Town council , North Tipperary County Council , Nenagh.ie and many local sponsors.